Automatic release-pulley.



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oFFIoE..

BERT CONWAY I'SWAGGEET, oF EUREKA, v"eALIFGENIA.

AUTOMATIC RELEASE-PULLEY.

.mfg-ma.

vPatented Dec. 25, 1906.

vTo lwZZfw'h/om, 'it ,may fconcern:

Be Vit Eknown Vt'hat I, BERT vCONWAY SWAG- `GERT, `la'citize'n-of the United-States, residing i`at Eureka, 'in the county of Humboldt and State ofCalifornia, lhave invented a new and useful Automatic Release-Pulley, fof vwhich fthefollowing-isa specification.

f Thisinvention relates to pulleys "of :that ltype designed to release 'the line 'by an en` largement on y"the 'latter-such, for instance,l

theeye or 'loop at theend `thereofto which the hook or other 'fastening device lis at v'tached#-the 'enlargement being adapted to fengage with a :suitably-hinged Y art ofthe "-t'he various Anovel features of construction =a`nd arrangement of parts described 'hereinaft'eran'd set forth with 'particularity in the vclaimsfappended'hereto. l

In the accompanyingdrawings, whichilluse Atrate'one ofzjthe embodiments of theiinven# tion, Figure 1 .isa perspective view of the pulley, showing the same employed inconnection with a lifting-line.

vlar view showing the hinged part of the block and the keeper opened to .permit vthe line vto bev-released. `Fig. Sisa sectional view of the keeperor yoke and adjacent parts. Fig. 4 is a partial side-elevation of the device, 'showing the meansfor enabling 'an enlargement on -thefline to l'actuate vthe hinged section of the block. y

Corresponding parts in the several iigures ters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, vA designates the block of the pulley, and -B the sheave, mounted in the block and rotatable on the journal 0,. The block comprises side plates l and 2, connected and spaced a art by the rivet-pins 3, and the journal a, w ich preferably takes the form of a bolt. The side plate 2 is constructed in two sections 4 and 5, that are provided with overlapping lugs 6 on their outer surface that are perforated to receive the pintle 7, whereby the section is hinged on the section 4 and is capable of swinging outwardly with respect to the Fig. 2 yis a simivare indicated throughout by similar'characsheave. The `hinged -section 5 is arrangedat the upper part of the -b'lock and vprojects atits upper end fa suitable `distance above the fhighest `point ofy kthesheave B. vThe side plate l yalso yextends lupwardly above the sheave and is -iprovided vwith bifurcations 8, between which lis :pivoted a `keeper'or yoke 9, the pintle '10'of which extends through perforations in the bifurcations. The free end of the keeper is adapted to be embraced by the hinged section 5, which is providedfwith a`n opening v to receive A'the end lof the keeper, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The keeper is provided ata medial point with an opening 11, which is iadap'ted `to receive a vhook or any :other suitable 'means for suspending thepulley.

' In order 'to holdthe hingedsection 5 and the keeper in a normaloroperative position, a springelatch lis employed, the same cornprising a strip' of elastic material, such as steel, which isanchored atonefend in afrecess 13 in-:the bottomside oftheekeep'e'rfat the free end thereof and l.at its @outer end lis formed intora projection lor nose .14, that isfadapted 'toengage 4theouter surface of the hinged secftio'n 5 at the point vindicated by 1'5. Theedge of the opening 10 at 15 isslightly rounded,

so that the latch will readily release fthe seetion 5 when lateral 'pressure is exerted on the latter.. In 'order to permit the latch to be withdrawn by hand, -the outer end is formed into an upwardlyeextending hook 16, disposed along the endvsurface of vthe keeper. The nosel/iiis so shaped that when-sufficient pressure is brought to bear upon l'the hinged section tending `to 'swing vit outwardly rthe latch will yield ormove into `the xrecess 13 of ythe keeper, thereby disengaging vthe lnose from the hinged section.

Pressure'for opening the hinged section is derived from an enlargement on lthe line 1-7, such enlargement ybeingja splice 18.for forming the" loop 19 of ythe line. The enlarge.-

ment, which `of course may be any other .suitable means than thesplice, is adapted to enter a wedge-shaped assage 20, lformed by the extension 21 on t e lates 1 and 2, as shown in Figs. land 4. t the inner or narrowest end of the wedge-shaped passage is the hinged section 5. By this arrangement the enlargement on the line, which latter may be a wire cable or rope of any other material, is' adapted to wedge into the narrowest part of the passage, and thereby exert a lateral pressure on the hinged section. When this IOO IIO

pressure becomes greater than the holding effect of the spring-latch, the hinged section and keeper are released, thereby permitting the line to ily out ofthe pulley.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying draw"- ings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation 4will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. In certain pulley constructions with which I am acquainted it hap ens that the line is pulled too far into the lock, so that the eye, hook, or other attaching means thereon becomes wedged between the parts oi the b lock, re.- sulting in the parts being spread out of shape and rendering it diiiicult to release the line. Such and other incidental difficulties are successi-lilly overcome with the present construction.

While I have described the pulley in connection with a lifting-line, it is of cou-rse obvious that the ulley may be used in connection with a cab e or rope that conveys a earriage. In this case the pulley will be opened by an enlargement on the cable, so as to ermit the carriage to pass without the u ley interfering therewith, as will be readi y understood.

I have described the rinciple of operation of the invention, together With the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof but I desire to have itunderstood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that various changes may be made, when desired, as are within the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination of a block having a hinged section provided with an opening, a keeper hinged on the fixed part of the block and adapted to engage at its free end in the opening of the hinged section, a yielding on the hinged section.

2. The combination of a block having a hinged section provided with an opening, a

keeper attached to a Xed part of the block and adapted to engage in the opening of the hinged section, a line having an enlargement,

means on the block arranged to bev engaged by the enlargement of the line for automatically opening the keeper, and means for holding the keeper and section in a closed position and permitting them to automatically vopen, said latter means comprising a resilient member attached at one end to the keeper and rovided with a nose at its free end for yiel ingly engaging the said section.

3. The combination oi a block having a hinged section rovided with an opening, a keeper attached) to a iiXed part of the block and adapted to engage in the opening of the hinged section, and means for holding the keeper and section in a closed position, said means comprising a resilient member attached at one end to the keeper and provided with a nose atits free end for yieldingly engaging the said section and with a hook eX- tending from the nose along the end of the keeper.

4. A block comprising two connected side plates, one of which plates being rovided with a bifurcated portion and the ot 1er with a hinged section having an opening, in combination with a keeper arranged at one end between the bifurcations of the one plate, a pintle extending through the bifurcated portion and keeper and arranged to permit the latter to engage at its free end the opening of the hinged section, a pulley mounted on the block, a line having an enlargement, a locking device for yieldingly holding the keeper and hinged section closed, and means on the block engaged by the enlargement of the line for opening the hinged section and kee er to permit the line to be released from the lock.

5. A block comprising two side plates having opposed wal s cooperating to form a wedge-shaped passage, a hinged member arranged at the narrowest end of the passage, a keeper on the block, means for yieldingly holding the keeper and hinged member together, a pulley mounted on the block, and a line riding on the pulley which is provided with an enlargement for entering between the said walls and wedging against the hinged member so as to exert a pressure to release the latter.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aiiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BERT CONWAY SVVAGGERT.

Witnesses:

A. J. MONROE, J. F. DOFFLMAIER.

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